URL:

files/proceedings/2010/66.pdf

Abstract:

We present D-Jogger, a music interface that makes use of body movement to dynamically select music and adapt its tempo to the user‟s pace. D-Jogger consists of several independent modules, such as a step detection algorithm and tempo-aware playlists, to achieve this goal. The re- search done with D-Jogger has focused on entrainment: the synchronization of two rhythmical processes, in this case music and walking. We present several ways of visualizing entrainment data, including synchronization plots and phase histograms. A pilot experiment was performed using D-Jogger with 33 participants. Preliminary data suggest that, when the music‟s tempo and the user‟s pace are close enough to each other, most users synchronize their walking to the music - taking a step with each beat. A user survey indi- cated that participants experience this effect as stimulat- ing and motivating. Several other application domains for D-Jogger are possible: personal training devices for joggers, rehabilita- tion therapy for Parkinson patients or simply as a nice-to- have application for your mobile phone.